You might not know that Social Media Marketing and Social Media Advertising are different, and that’s totally okay. They are similar, so that can be what’s stumping you. With the ever changing social media climate, who wouldn’t be confused about it, right? There is a difference though, and when they’re used correctly, they can make a difference in your digital marketing efforts.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Every business today should have a Social Media Marketing campaign of some sort. Social Media Marketing covers every social media platform available to your business. It begins with something as simple as creating an online profile relevant to your business industry. Leading to more social profiles and then interacting with consumers on said profiles.

Interaction on these profiles is key. Interaction is how you promote your brand. Liking, commenting, and sharing content, both theirs and yours is what will bring engagement to your own social media accounts, bringing attention to your brand, your business.

Everyone is using social media, so why not take advantage of it, it’s free! Create a community, create awareness of your business. Draw in your potential customers, bring attention to what makes your business unique! Build a rapport with your customers before they ever step foot into your store or make an online purchase. Make then WANT to do business with you.

What is Social Media Advertising?

Social Media Advertising is similar to Google Advertising. It’s run on a PPC basis, where you pay if a user clicks on an ad, or by pay per impression. These ads can be run on various social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram for example. You can pay to boost a post which has already been posted, or an actual campaign can be set up and run.

The benefit of using paid social media campaigns is targeting. With targeting, specific areas can be targeted, genders, locations, interests, and search history as well. These are important factors to consider when trying to sell something geared towards a specific audience.

Which is Better?

There isn’t one that is better than the other. Both avenues can sell your products and get people in your store or on your website. Social Media Marketing can build a community and get your brand out there, while Social Media Advertising will get your product or ad in front of who you want to see it when you want them to see it. But when used together, you can have the best possible outcome.

If both social media advertising and social media marketing sound like a lot for your business, don’t worry. Webtivity Marketing and Design has a marketing team that specializes in both and would love to help!

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How do you reach your target audience on an ever changing social media platform? How do you get the results you’re aiming for? Here are 5 ways to make your social media posts stand out on Facebook.

Get To the Point

People don’t want to read a blog when they’re looking at your business Facebook page, that’s what a blog is for. So keep Facebook posts short and sweet. Think of social media as a social event, small talk. Make a point, draw them in, and get out! Maximum engagement for a social media post on a Facebook page happens at 40 characters according to Buffer.

Use Images

It doesn’t matter how great you are with words, your posts NEED to have an image. Posts are visually appealing. You don’t even need to be a professional photographer. Just be relatable. Studies have shown that posts with images get more interaction.

Tag Brands

Using social tagging will bring others in. If you tag your supplier, or a brand you use or love, it allows you to reach them and their followers! This grows your organic reach!

Ask for Likes

Just like you ask for reviews, ask for likes. When someone interacts with your post and they don’t currently “like” your page, ask them to. If you click on the link next to the list of reactions to your post, it will bring up a list of everyone who reacted to your post, and include whether they like your page already. If they don’t; simply hit invite. This is a great way to invite followers of your product or brand who might not be aware that they’re not already following your page.

Begin a Conversation

When you talk to your followers, it builds a sense of community. Pose a question, encourage them to interact with you. This will increase engagement, and make posts more successful.

We have always said it’s important to have a presence on social media, but these days, with more people being at home, it’s even more important. If you need help starting your page, or just want to increase your social media presence, give Tim a call at 727-386-7216 X 107.

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Introducing the Webtivity Referral Rewards Program!

Up to $350 credit for your website and digital marketing referrals

We love our clients and thank them for trusting us with their digital marketing needs. There is no greater compliment than when our valued clients refer us to their business friends. These website and digital marketing referrals have been crucial to Webtivity’s success over the years.

To show our appreciation, we have established a referral reward program. When a client refers someone to us and they hire us for their website design and/or digital marketing, the client will receive a credit and the referral will get a discount. So it’s a Win-Win-Win. The client gets a credit. Referral gets a discount. Webtivity gets a new client.

The great thing about the referral reward program is there is no limit to the number of referrals or credits. If you are currently only a website client, you can refer yourself for digital marketing and get both the credit and the discount.

If you are a previous client, no problem. Refer yourself and come back to Webtivity. We don’t hold a grudge. You will receive both the referring credit and referral discount. After that refer others to earn even more credits.

Click here to learn more about our website and digital marketing referral program and refer someone today

We have tried to make it as easy as possible. On the page above you will find an email template as well as a contact form to get in touch with us.

Please note this referral reward program is effective April 8, 2020. While we appreciate past referrals, we unfortunately cannot make this program retroactive.

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If you have a small business and it’s not on Facebook, then you’re missing out on a bunch of FREE advertising. Yes, free advertising! Of course, like Google, there are opportunities for paid advertising on Facebook. But every small business should be on social media, especially on Facebook. The most common age of Facebook users is between the ages of 25-29 at 29.7% of users according to Zephoria. This is also the most targeted age for marketers. So why don’t you promote your small business on Facebook? Here’s how to start.

First of all, create a Facebook business page. Add all of your important business information; name, contact info, hours, products, website if you have one. Make your profile picture your business logo, and add a cover photo that accurately reflects your business.

Once you’ve created the Facebook page, you need to update it regularly. That means at least once a day. Users like to see behind the scenes photos too, such as employee photos, anniversaries, and things that show off your business. They like pictures and videos, just keep them on brand with what you’re trying to promote. Use Facebook’s free tool “insights” if you’re unsure of what and when to post.

Friends of Fans is Facebook’s “word of mouth”, so encourage people to “check-in” or to tag your business in a post. You can do this by having them check in to receive a discount or tag to enter a contest. When a fan does this, their friends will see this and see your business. Free Advertising!

Create events! Whether it’s a grand opening, a sale, a special tasting, whatever it is, create an event. That event will show up in the events tab, and people will see it. When people are interested in it, or check that they’re going to it, their friends will see that too!

Engage with your fans as well as with other pages. Be sure you’re responding to questions and comments on your page. It’s equally important that your page is interacting with similar pages, as well as local businesses. These actions will help get your business name out there.

If you need some help getting your business set up on Facebook or other social media outlets, Webtivity Marketing & Design has got you covered, reach out to us online or give us a call at (941) 753-7574!

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What is it that makes a business credible online these days? When businesses are competing for the same space in Google’s SERP’s, often it comes down to which business is more credible. So let’s break down some ways to build online credibility.

Search your business profile online and make sure that not only are all elements filled out accordingly, but that they match, and that they’re interesting to read. Add elements that would make you feel like the business is trustworthy if you were searching, such as pictures, logos, or an address. Include your staff if you have any.

Yes, we’ve said it before but blog. Become an authority – an expert in your field. Don’t just blog, but blog often. Not only does blogging increase your online search engine traffic, but it can also increase your leads, and help to back up your sales pitch if necessary.

Get active on social media accounts. More often than not, after someone finds a business online, they go looking for that business on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If they find an active social media presence, that business automatically gets a leg up on the competition. By being social, you create trust and connect with your online audience. Be authentic, transparent, and be sure to listen and to respond to comments, questions, and reviews in a timely manner.

Highlight what it is that makes YOUR business unique! What makes you stand out? Whether it’s your standards, your warranty, or your timeliness. Whatever it is that makes you different from your competitor, show it, improve upon it, and make sure your customers feel good about choosing your business over another.

Nothing stands out to a potential buyer more than proof of credibility. Proof of credibility can include testimonials from previous clients, any awards your business has received, memberships/badges with credible associations, endorsements from credible sources, and even degrees from academic institutions. The more sources you provide, the more confident you will make potential consumers trust in your business.

If you need help increasing your online credibility in the Bradenton or St. Petersburg area, give us a call or reach out to us online!

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Owning a business today, is ten times harder than it was ten years ago. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire with the popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Maintaining your reputation across these mediums is important, and requires strict diligence. A little effort goes a long way. Here are 10 things to know about online reputation management.

• It’s important for your business to be present across all types of internet properties. This begins with having a website.
• Create social media accounts for your business, this should include all the major ones such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN and YouTube. Keep them active, and engage with your followers to help build trust.
• Claim your business on Google My Business, Yelp, and anywhere consumers might be leaving reviews. For example if you’re in the travel industry, you’d want to consider Trip Advisor as well.
• Blog on your company website. Not only will it improve your company’s rankings for SEO, but it goes a long way in building your company’s reputation.
• It’s important to listen to what’s being said about your business. Listen through social media, listen online, and listen to your business reviews. Like mentioned above, today word of mouth spreads like wildfire! All it takes is a quick Google search and anyone can see what is being said about your business. You don’t want to be driving potential customers to the competitor.
• Respond to all reviews, but be sure to apologize when responding to negative reviews. Do this publicly, then you can take it offline and come to a resolution. But by being transparent with your apology, it can help to bring the situation to a close. Be sure that the apology is authentic, consumers can see right through nonsense, and with the amount of  competition out there, they will be quick to take their business elsewhere.
• Whatever you do, don’t get into an argument with customers online. It only makes your business look bad. Like mentioned above, take it offline. Ask them to call you, or send you a direct message. You’ve still shown that you’re addressing the problem. Showing your professionalism is more important than proving you’re right.
• Focus on customer service. Customers will notice how you treat them, and that is key to building a great reputation. They will be more apt to forgive mistakes if they’re treated well.
• Ask your customers for reviews. You can also leave signs at your counter, leave links at the bottom of emails or receipts. When you receive reviews, post them to your website and social media accounts.
• Not only do the number of quality reviews matter when potential customers are looking to do business with you, but it matters how current the reviews are. This is why it is important to keep a steady stream of reviews coming in.

Remember, the major review sites have steps in place for inaccurate reviews. If you have a review from someone who was not a customer, you do have the right to flag it as inappropriate, or in violation of the site’s guidelines. For help maintaining your online reputation for your business, contact us. Webtivity is here for you.

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